Who is an educator?

When I see students' eyes light up

When I see their joy and excitement in what they have achieved

When you find the joy in shared joy

When you tell yourself that enough is not enough

When you believe that everyone can and will learn

When you preserve the love of learning

When you love a child that didn't come out of you.

When you speak for those who have not yet formed a voice

When you tell them to question everything they learn and ask the hard questions

When you feel indescribable fatigue yet joy at every little milestone

When you celebrate together with them because you can't help yourself

...then you know!

.... because you feel

Tips for the educator the first day of school

1. Start with asking everyone to share some positive experiences

2. Do not under estimate the power of smiling and greeting everyone 

3. Take a genuine interest in your students

4. Try to remember EVERYONE'S names

5. Have ice-breaker activities and team-building resources ready to go

6. Create a calm and inviting atmosphere

7. Remember to keep smiling

Spicing up things

 Inquiry-based learning 

Children naturally learn by inquiring about the world around them from a very young age. Learning by inquiry is learner-driven because students ask questions about what interests them. Sometimes I would show them a video and ask them what they think about it. This form of guided inquiry opens up the floor for discussion and often leads to more questions. They are then willing to find answers to their questions through research, observation, and experimentation. Everyone shares and learns from each other. According to Approaches to teaching and learning. (n.d.), an ib learner profile must include inquirers who are naturally curious. Described below is a lesson in which inquiry-based learning may be incorporated seamlessly into instruction.

Title - Forces and Motion

Inquiry - In this lesson students will investigate the properties of motion by asking the big question - what makes things move? They will come up with answers and also make inquiries about what objects stop moving. Students write down what they would like to know and learn about as well as what they already know about the topic. Another methodology to implement is to have learners come to class with questions about the topic. They might probably ask how the covid 19 vaccine is different from other vaccines. One of my students once asked why all the planets were spherical in shape. It led to a good discussion about gravity followed up research and investigation

Action- The action item for this stage of the matrix would be to perform an experiment that will use various ways to move objects. The learners y may push or pull cars, wheels and other manipulatives to derive inferences. They may try changing the direction of moving objects to see what happens. They may hypothesize that after moving for some time the object will come to rest. They will wonder why it stopped moving and try to determine the reasons for the change in behavior to see what can be modified to get different results. Observations must be recorded and analysis must be conducted to find answers to the questions. The action can also be in the form of role-playing, field studies, and naturalistic observations.

Reflection - students will record their findings from their observations by stating whether something was able to move without being acted upon by a force. They will be able to demonstrate Newton's laws of motion through several similar examples such as twirling a  top or a game of tug of war. They will also relate real-world examples such as seat belt laws and inertia. They will document their work and reevaluate to see if adjustments need to be made or if the experiment needs to be reconducted. As an extension, they may also work on observing and recording the speed of moving objects by using time duration and distance traveled to calculate average speed.

As it can be noted from the above example, inquiry-based learning can stimulate interest and engagement at many levels. Students have room to learn through discussions and collaboration. This gets them thinking, which in turn generates ideas and innovative solutions to everyday problems that we face. I work together with my students to find answers rather than to simply present them. This inquiry-based model can be easily assimilated into any lesson plan. inquiry-based learning develops passion and relevance (Edutopia, 2015). Teachers can encourage learners to write questions rather than answers. Furthermore, according to Rooney (2012), inquiry-based learning promotes higher-order thinking skills like the critical analysis.

Critical evaluation of inquiry-based learning

One of the downfalls of this form of learning that I have encountered in my experience is that the class can go off on many tangents without proper direction and guidance.  One question leads to another and we end up going into this never-ending rabbit hole.  It is therefore important that the facilitator effectively manages the group discussion by bringing it back to where the focus should be.

References

Approaches to teaching and learning. (n.d.). ib Diploma Programme. https://xmltwo.ibo.org/publications/DP/Group0/d_0_dpatl_gui_1502_1/static/dpatl/

Edutopia (2015). Inquiry-Based Learning: Developing Student-Driven Questions. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdYev6MXTOA

Rooney, C. (2012). How am I using inquiry-based learning to improve my practice and to encourage higher-order thinking among my students of mathematics? Educational Journal of Living Theories. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.462.8857&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Teachable Moment

 My fellow teachers - if you are not giving the graded tests back to your students to fix their errors or retake the test, you are depriving the child of a strong learning opportunity because we learn best through our mistakes.

Teachers do so much more than just teach

 Teachers are the hands that wipe your baby's nose when you aren't there for them

Teachers are the eys that watch your teen's phones when you are far away

Teachers are the voice that speaks up for your child when they know they are in pain.

Teachers are the hearts that are filled with love to teach, to care, to value, to bring hope

Teachers are undervalued, underrated, under-respected but they don't care, they go on

Because teachers don't teach for today, they teach for tomorrow,

Big boy blues

 He put his shirt on by himself today and I had to blink away a tear because this is it. This is how they slip away and no longer need you

 Introduction

Thinking back through the invaluable and highly resourceful contents of the course, it is an incredibly challenging task, to pick just one topic that impacted me. Being both a parent and an educator, almost all topics were directly relevant and almost immediately implementable. If I am to narrow it down, one of the more significant portions of this course was built around disciplinary measures and management. Both in my professional and personal life, disciplinary circumstances are part of the day-to-day routine. Therefore, this concept would be most relevant to my context.

Models of Discipline

One should ensure that disciplinary measures do not diminish the joy of learning.  I will continue to apply some of the theories related to discipline in my classroom. The firm and kind approach seems to be a good balance to maintain to achieve effective discipline.  Getting down to the root cause of the behavior and finding ways to change the behavior by addressing the cause, is fundamental to classroom management. As Jane Nelson describes in her talk, the iceberg runs much deeper than what is visible. StoneVistaMedia, (2019). A variety of reasons need to be researched and examined to find out where the unpleasant behavior is stemming from.  Staying calm and not reacting is key.  

Kohn (1995) states that punishment and rewards do not work in the long term. He goes on to state that threats and bribes can buy a short-term change in behavior, but they can never help kids develop a commitment to positive values. Ultimately teachers and parents want children to become moral people of values, be creative, critical thinking innovators and not materialistic and superficial people. Oshman Family JCC (2015).

“To help kids engage in such reflection, we have to work with them rather than doing things to them. We have to bring them in on the process of making decisions about their learning and their lives together in the classroom. Children learn to make good choices by having the chance to choose, not by following directions.” (Kohn, 1995, para 11)

In a school, parent involvement is also key in this process and it is essential that a strong sense of ‘team’ exists between the teacher, the student and the parent in order to achieve an effective teaching-learning process. Bullying, unfortunately, is something many students deal with and it is important that a strong support framework is put in place. A network must be built for any child to turn towards.

As Positive Discipline (2018) states, treating children with dignity and respect is important but, but spoiling and pampering children is encouraging to them and results in social and behavioral problems. Dreikurs and Adler refer to the kind and firm approach to teaching and parenting as democratic. Jane Nelson according to StoneVistaMedia (2019) proposes the following key takeaways techniques for positive discipline.

Connection before correction - It is important to establish a relationship before disciplining. 

Positive timeout - set a quiet and comfortable space of the child’s choice for them to reflect and reach a calm mindset.

Family/ Class meetings - Regular meetings to discuss progress and discipline between students and teachers or parents and children are essential.

Not looking to blame but looking for solutions - be more focused on a positive outcome of the situation.

Use Encouragement instead of praise - For example instead of saying “I am proud of you” say “you must be so proud of yourself”.

Lead children towards self-discipline - Instead of using traditional punitive methods, let them make some choices and face the consequences of their choices in a healthy way. We, adults, need to lead by example by the little things we do. Often, children do as adults do and not as they say.

This course has provided me with an invaluable set of tools that I need and use to manage my class more effectively. Having put many of these methods into practice, I have found that they are much better at connecting with the student than conventional methods which focus on actions and consequences only. When formulating rules for the next school year I will be sure to involve the students in a discussion of what is best and safest for them. I will then take their suggestions in formulating consequences. 

Both as a parent and a teacher, I will continue to follow the guidelines that I have learned from this course and hopefully be a better educator and mother than I was, when I started. It will be a continuous growth process for me and I am immensely grateful for that. When educators learn and improve, thousands of lives can be positively impacted by this growth. I also wish to share these priceless techniques with my colleagues and other parents so that we will all be on the same page in taking small steps towards a more self-disciplined, self-motivated next generation who are self-directed and leaders in their learning process.

 ‘When you learn, teach. When you get, give!’ - Maya Angelou

References

Kohn, A. (1995). Discipline is the problem- Not the solution. Retrieved from https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/discipline-problem-solution/

Nelson, J, Positive Discipline, 18 Ways to Avoid Power Struggles retrieved on 2021 February 6 from https://www.positivediscipline.com/articles/18-ways-avoid-power-struggles

Oshman Family JCC (2015, February 12) Alfie Kohn at the OFJCC: Performance vs. Learning - The Costs of Overemphasizing Achievement [Video file] retrieved from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4qRZt0VCak

Positive Discipline, (2008, November 28). 50 Ways to Avoid Power Struggles with Children. [Video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx8_6Vmgcjk

StoneVistaMedia (2019, November 9 ) Jane Nelson Presentation. [Video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_h44xFO12U

The inevitable truth

The inevitable truth is the formalized education, whether college or school is becoming redundant and useless. Anyone can be self-taught in areas that they wish as long as they are keen to learn. Education is free and accessible. And guess what? Literacy is out the window too. One can use text to speech convertors or videos or any other means of getting thoughts across - communication and not literacy is key.

How to be more positive and encouraging when grading and commenting

 "Sticks and Stones can break my bones but words can break my heart"

* Start with encouraging positive words and state what you love most about the student and their work

* Give constructive feedback that point them in the direction of improvement rather than dwelling on weaknesses

* Grade how you would want to be graded

* Find reason to reward

* Have a really good reason to fail somebody and let it be your very last resort

* Final follow up comments should be encouraging - "Keep up the good work!" 

Words to avoid and better words to substitute with:

Don't use:

- Bad/poor

- Unacceptable work

- Irrelevant

Instead use:

- Inadequate

- Relevancy should be explained

- Illustrate in more detail

- Show evidence and/or explanation

 To most teachers, our students are an extension of our families. When we lose sleep thinking about plans to help them we do it because we care.

Black History Month

Ideas for Activities

• Electronic or handmade posters for an imaginary rally - 
• Research and Presentation on African American Heroes
• Research report on the civil war
• Biography on the following - Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King

Losing our minds?

What will our brains evolve into?

When I have a thought I quickly stop whatever I am doing, to write it down because I know within minutes I can forget it and whatever wisdom that befell upon me will be forever lost.

It is a satisfying realty that one no longer needs to remember where they kept their keys or to throw the trash out because thanks to Alexa and google, the mundane daily responsibilities of the human mind seize to exist. I hope and pray that our children will belong to a generation that has an easier and more efficient lifestyle . At the same time I fear that the full capacities of our mind would never be understood. 

I can only imagine what technologies will exist in a hundred years from now. And in a thousand years, would we have completely outsourced our minds?

The thought makes me lose my mind 

Feedback - good only :P

 Looking back at the feedback I've received over the years always puts me in good spirit!

AP Chemistry| 10th Grade - Hons Chemistry | 9th Grade - Hons Biology | Middle school Science 

"Firstly, thank you for making me enjoy and like Biology. They say that during high school is when you choose your career and I think the way you taught me and guided me, I was able to choose my career with ease. Second I just want to say that you are an astounding teacher. Your class was sometimes stressful, but sometimes very fun and enjoyable. In those stressful times. you made sure to make us realize that it's not all about grades.I want to thank you for teaching me this year and making me love biology. I hope I get to have you again next year." - Future Pediatrician IA

Thank you Sr.Fathima for all that you did. Just to let you know that you were my favorite teacher out of all the teachers and your class was one of the only classes I would pay attention to. For all the laughs and good times we had, I thank you for a great year for making Biology fun and exciting for me. Thank you once again Sr.Fathima 

"I liked how it's going so far. Your class has little things to do and it is easy to understand. I liked how you assign little but it teaches me a lot." - 9th Grade Biology Student

"JazakAllah khair for putting in sincere effort into instilling love of science in both of my children" - 8th Grade Parent

"Chemistry will always be my favorite class not only because its fun but because sr Fathima was one of the best teachers in it. She was always willing to do anything to see her students do well and succeed in her class. I am proud to be one of her students." 10th Grade Chemistry Student

"I enjoyed the class I learned a lot and it was fun to be in. Thank you for all the good times!"

"This class was interesting and I truly believe it is due to the teacher's hard work behind it"

"It was a fun and insightful class. The way we learned, didn't make it boring."

"Your class was fun!"

"JazakAllah khair  for your guidance and support. She always speaks highly of you and your teaching skills. She is fortunate to have you" 

"Thank you for teaching us this year. I enjoyed learning from you." - 8th Grader

Some items that might help educators elevate remote lessons

 As educators we are challenged in keeping our students engaged. From bitmojis to fancy virtual backgrounds we seem to have nearly everything checked. With nearly a year of teaching online here are some basics that can help take our remote sessions to a new level.

1. Ring Light - If your face looks dark and zoomed out, it is easy for viewers to be distracted and not pay attention. Invest in an easy to operate ring light like this. 

2. A second screen is a life changer. If you like to view all your students as well as have your slides or activities in a different screen you will find that having two or more screens is a life saver. Something simple like this can make a big difference. Just plug in your laptop and your good to go. Many other options here too.

3. Remote keyboard - If your table is large and you need space to spread out your books and notes, reaching out across to your laptop can be hard. Here is an option to save your arm and minimize the reaching distance

4. Wireless mouse - Don't forget to checkout the wide range of fun colors they offer!

5. Keyboard and mouse combo - Or you could just go the easy route and buy a combo that takes care of both.

6. A comfy chair - This is probably the place you will spend most of your time at and therefore you would want it to be comfortable and shouldn't mind splurging on. However if you are on a budget and want to eventually upgrade then this option might work for you. Again, they come in random funky colors that can match the deco of your office, study or room. Ergonomic Mesh Computer Chair Lumbar Support

To the kiddos in 2021

He was known to be a human being of good character. I never had the privilege of getting to know your great grandfather. All I can do is pray and hope that I will know him in the next life. Great grandma is faraway on the other side of the world but she can tell you stories from the past... stories that have no videos or pictures s d solely rely on the imagination of one’s mind. Pray for the generations before us... pray for the generations to come..., it really is all we can do so find peace and hope in faith and prayer.  Love you Appa - this ones for you!

Careers and Colleges

We have come a long way from having babies and toddlers in the house to the challenges of parenting teenagers. Technically we still have a nearly 3 year old making messes but a 13 year old going on 25 is still the biggest challenge.

How do we tell our kids who love art that there is no real career in art?

Is zoom better than gmeet?

 As a teacher experienced in both these platforms I would like to share my insights on this comparison.

1. Extensions - Most features are not built into the application and have to be installed as a browser extension to chrome.

2. Breakout Rooms - Supervising the participants in zoom breakout rooms is a complicated and tedious process. Besides needing many screens and workarounds, it also requires to have high-speed connectivity which may be an issue if you have five users online at a given time and place.

3. While zoom is about as easy to use as gmeet it is not browser-based and therefore a hassle sometimes.

4. Gmeet so far has not come up with a mute all button and muting 100 participants is a big deal.

5. The free version of gmeet will not let you record a meeting, whereas zoom gives the recording capabilities.

6. Meeting durations - The free version of zoom has a limit of 45 minutes after which your call will end. Gmeet has unlimited duration.

Checkout this gmeet slideshow put together for a group of educators that had to vote on their preference

Happy Teachers' Day!

Every student we teach is training to be a superhero

Every Teacher is a Hero who makes Super Heroes!

The tears and sweat will be worth it in the end

Come on let's play!

 Just how much play would be too much play?

There is no question that play is absolutely important. But 12 hours a day is a really long time.... How much play would be healthy and adequate?

What are some age-appropriate activities?

Bring it on

 I challenge every public school out there... Certification does not maketh a great teacher.... in fact it has nothing to do with the ability to teach. Yes, we need training. We need experience. We need motivation but a piece of paper does not prove anything. At the end of the day, can you connect with a student? Can you help them learn - that's all that counts.